MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.

In 1066
Westbury was the centre of a large but scattered
Crown estate which owed one night's farm; before
1086 outlying parts, totalling 25 hides, in Kyre and
Clifton on Teme (Worcs.), Edvin Loach (Herefs.), and
Newent and 'Chingestune', were removed, leaving
30 hides at Westbury. (fn. 1) Henry II granted the manor
of WESTBURY to Roger de Mynors to hold by
the service of a sore goshawk or 20s. annual rent.
Roger was succeeded by his son William, and
William's son Henry de Mynors (fn. 2) was licensed to
make a park next to his house at Westbury in 1200. (fn. 3)
Henry was dead by 1217; a portion of the manor
was retained in dower by his widow Agnes and a
partition was made of the remainder between his
daughters, Isabel who married Geoffrey de Longchamp, Elizabeth who married William de Gamage,
and Basile who married Pain of Burghill. Agnes's
share, which she held with Roger of Leybourne,
presumably her husband, in 1235, was partitioned
at her death c. 1260 among the three daughters or
their heirs and assigns. (fn. 4)

Isabel granted her share of the manor in 1235 to
Henry of Bath (fn. 5) who was repairing and extending
his house at Westbury in 1241 and 1242. (fn. 6) By 1272
Henry's estate had passed to Nicholas of Bath who
held it in 1309. (fn. 7) Nicholas of Bath died c. 1326 when
his estate at Westbury was divided between his
daughter Aline, the wife of Robert de Sapy, and
John de Aune, son of Nicholas's daughter Elizabeth
and Adam de Aune; the estate was then as later in
the 14th century said to be held of the de Bohuns as
of Haresfield. (fn. 8) John's share had passed by 1374 to
Philip de Aune, (fn. 9) and may have been held in 1434 by
William de Aune and his wife Margaret; (fn. 10) that
part of the estate has not been traced further, but
it is likely to have been that which was held by Sir
Alexander Baynham in the late 15th century. (fn. 11)
Aline and Robert de Sapy's share was usually known
later as the manor of LEY; Robert, who was licensed
in 1330 to inclose the estate and build a peel-house, (fn. 12)
died c. 1336, (fn. 13) and his widow apparently granted
the estate in 1337 to Richard Talbot, later Lord
Talbot (d. 1356). (fn. 14) It passed to Richard's son
Gilbert (d. 1387), (fn. 15) and to Gilbert's son Richard
(d. 1396). Richard's widow Ankaret, who married
Thomas Neville, Lord Furnivale, held the estate
(then and later said to be held of the Abbot of
Gloucester) until her death in 1413 (fn. 16) when it passed
to her son Gilbert (d. 1418). Gilbert's heir was his
daughter Ankaret (fn. 17) who died in 1421; the estate
passed to her uncle John Talbot who was created
Earl of Shrewsbury in 1442 and died in 1453. (fn. 18)
John's son John who succeeded died in 1460, (fn. 19)
and his son John in 1473 (fn. 20) when the estate passed
to the Crown which made grants to assignees to hold
during the minority of George, son of the last John,
in 1475 and 1478. (fn. 21) George, Earl of Shrewsbury,
died in 1538 and the estate presumably passed to
his son Francis (d. 1560), whose son George held
it at his death in 1590. (fn. 22) Ley manor passed to
George's son Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury (d. 1616), (fn. 23)
whose daughter and coheir Elizabeth and her husband Henry Grey, Earl of Kent, held it in 1632. (fn. 24)
Henry died in 1639 and Elizabeth retained the manor
in 1640 (fn. 25) and presumably until her death in 1651.
The estate was held in 1672 by Anthony Grey,
Earl of Kent (d. 1702). (fn. 26) Anthony was succeeded
by his son Henry, created Duke of Kent in 1710,
whose estate in 1717 comprised c. 360 a. mainly
lying around the house called Old Ley Court in
the north-east part of the parish. Henry sold the
manor and c. 300 a. in 1725 to Sir Edmund Probyn
and John Hopkins, Sir Edmund's nephew and heir
apparent; 50 a. of that, lying south-east of Old Ley
Court, they sold in 1727 to William Saunders. (fn. 27)
Sir Edmund died in 1742 and John Hopkins, who
changed his name to Probyn, held the manor until
his death in 1773. (fn. 28) John was succeeded by his son
Edmund Probyn (d. 1819), (fn. 29) whose son the Revd.
John Probyn had an estate of 472 a. in 1839. It
included, in addition to the manor estate, lands
centred on Ley Mill Farm and Leyfold Farm (fn. 30)
which had earlier belonged to the Young family;
Richard Young owned 206 a. at his death in 1635, (fn. 31)
and John Young, apparently his son, held the estate
in 1655; (fn. 32) it had passed to Richard Young by 1683 (fn. 33)
and the family still owned it c. 1708. (fn. 34) The Revd.
John Probyn died in 1843 and his estate passed to
his son John (d. 1863), and to John's son Edmund. (fn. 35)
Ley Mill and Leyfold farms were put up for sale
with the Probyn's Huntley manor estate in 1883, (fn. 36)
and the former was owned by Wilmot Inglis
Jones in 1902; (fn. 37) both farms were later acquired by
the MacIvers of Blaisdon Hall and were sold with
that estate in the early 1930s. (fn. 38) In 1969 Ley Mill and
Leyfold farms with a total of 376 a. belonged to
Mr. T. H. Sedgebeer. (fn. 39) Old Ley Court, which had
apparently been sold by the Probyns before 1883, (fn. 40)
was owned with 56 a. by Mr. D. H. Smart in
1969. (fn. 41) The house was rebuilt in brick c. 1800 but
retains some 17th-century timber-framing in a rear
wall.

The portion of Westbury manor which passed to
Henry de Mynors's daughter Elizabeth and her
husband William de Gamage was granted by Elizabeth to her son Matthew de Gamage, who held it in
1260; Matthew granted it before 1287 to his brother
Nicholas. (fn. 42) Nicholas de Gamage died in 1349
holding a messuage, presumably on the site of
Gamage Court, and lands in Lower Ley, said to be
held of Edward de Penebrugge; the estate was then
divided among Nicholas's three daughters, Margery
who married John Billing, Joan who married Hugh
Arthur, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth granted her share
c. 1351 to Thomas de Wauton, and Margery and Joan
and their husbands retained their shares in 1358; (fn. 43)
none of the estates has been traced further, but one
may have been represented by the Greyndour estate
at Lower Ley. (fn. 44)

The third portion of Henry de Mynors's estate,
later called the manor of WESTBURY or
BURGHILL, was held by his daughter Basile of
Burghill in 1255. (fn. 45) Her son Henry of Burghill held
the estate, which included a house, at his death
c. 1271 when he was succeeded by his brother Roger. (fn. 46)
In 1301 Roger of Burghill granted the estate to his
son Roger (d. 1303), (fn. 47) and it was held by Julia wife
of the second Roger during the minority of his son
Roger. (fn. 48) In 1334 Roger of Burghill settled the estate
on himself and his wife Sibyl with reversion to
William of Eyllesford, (fn. 49) and by 1359 it was held by
John of Eyllesford. (fn. 50) John of Eyllesford died in
1396 (fn. 51) and his widow Isabel, who married Richard
de la Mare, held the estate until her death in 1421.
After Isabel's death it passed to John Milburne (fn. 52)
who died in 1436 leaving an infant son Simon; (fn. 53)
the manor was held after his death by his wife
Elizabeth. (fn. 54) Simon Milburne was seized of the
estate at his death in 1522 when his heirs were the
families of his 10 daughters. (fn. 55) Burghill manor was
later acquired by William Stanford on whose death
before 1579 it passed to his grandson William, (fn. 56) and
Sir Robert Stanford, son of the second William,
owned it at his death in 1607. It passed to Sir
Robert's son Edward, and Edward's son William
Stanford (fn. 57) sold the site of the manor with 112 a. of
land in 1636 to James Sandford (d. 1638). James
Sandford was succeeded by his daughter Edith
who married John Mitchell. (fn. 58) In 1661 James
Mitchell of Harescombe, probably the son of John
and Edith, owned the estate and in 1682 he settled
it on the marriage of his son James. On the death
of the younger James Mitchell before 1711 the
estate was divided between his daughters Mary who
married George Small, Elizabeth who married
Jacob Elton, and Bridget who married Samuel
Clutterbuck. Elizabeth and Jacob sold their share
to Mary and George in 1711, and on George's
death c. 1736 his two-thirds share passed to his
cousin John Small; John was succeeded by his
brother Richard who sold it in 1749 to Maynard
Colchester of Westbury Court, who bought the
remaining third from William Clutterbuck, son of
Bridget and Samuel, in 1755. (fn. 59) The site of Burghill
manor appears to have been at Court Farm at the
north end of Westbury village: the house bears the
initials of John and Edith Mitchell and the date
1648 and it was owned by the Colchesters in 1785. (fn. 60)
Court Farm remained part of the Westbury Court
estate until sold by Maynard Colchester-Wemyss
in the early 20th century, (fn. 61) and in 1969 the house and
c. 130 a. belonged to Mr. R. T. Worlock. (fn. 62) A block
of two stories and attics built of the local Lias stone
and retaining one original mullioned window with
a dripmould is probably contemporary with the
date it bears, and there is a large early-19thcentury brick extension with sash windows on the
east.

An estate called the manor of WESTBURY
which is likely to have been the part of the manor
held by the de Aunes in the late 14th century, was
held in 1489 by Sir Alexander Baynham (fn. 63) (d. 1524). (fn. 64)
It passed to successive sons John (d. 1528), (fn. 65)
William (d. 1568), and Robert (d. 1572). (fn. 66) Robert
Baynham was succeeded by his brother Joseph
(d. 1613), (fn. 67) whose son Alexander sold the manor in
1625 to John Dutton, (fn. 68) who sold it in 1628 to
Nicholas Roberts (fn. 69) of Stanton Harcourt (Oxon.).
Nicholas was succeeded at his death in 1637 by
his son Caesar Roberts, (fn. 70) who died in 1641 when
the manor passed to his uncle Giles Roberts. (fn. 71) Giles
sold it in 1641 to his nephew Richard Colchester, one
of the Six Clerks of Chancery, (fn. 72) who died in 1643;
in 1644 Richard's estates were sequestrated because
of his support of the royalist cause, but the order was
revoked the next year. Richard's widow Elizabeth
held Westbury manor until c. 1650 during the
minority of his son Duncombe Colchester, who was
knighted in 1674 and died in 1694. (fn. 73) Sir Duncombe
was succeeded by his son Maynard, a philanthropist
and a founder of the S.P.C.K. and S.P.G. (fn. 74) Maynard
Colchester died in 1715 and his estates passed to his
nephew Maynard (d. 1756), (fn. 75) and to Maynard, son of
the second Maynard, who owned c. 765 a. in the
parish in 1785 including the manor-house called
Westbury Court, Court farm at Westbury, the Stantway Court, Rodley Farm, and Hayden estates, Baglaw farm, and Ley Park. (fn. 76) Maynard Colchester was
succeeded at his death in 1787 by his brother John
(d. 1801), whose wife Elizabeth held the estates for a
few years during the minority of her son Maynard, (fn. 77)
who died in 1860. Maynard Willoughby Wemyss,
great-nephew of the last Maynard, succeeded to the
estates and took the name Wemyss-Colchester,
later changed to Colchester-Wemyss. Maynard
Colchester-Wemyss, who was chairman of the
Gloucestershire County Council from 1908 to
1918, died in 1930 and was succeeded by his son Sir
Maynard Francis Colchester-Wemyss. (fn. 78) Sir Francis
sold the Westbury estate in 1944 to his brother Col.
J. M. Colchester-Wemyss (d. 1946), whose widow,
Stella, retained Westbury Court and part of the
estate until 1960. (fn. 79)

The manor-house of Henry de Mynors mentioned
in 1200 apparently stood on the site of the later
Westbury Court. (fn. 80) Westbury Court was presumably
the Baynhams' house at Westbury mentioned in the
early 16th century, (fn. 81) and the one in which Nicholas
Roberts was living at his death in 1637. (fn. 82) The Colchesters took up residence at Westbury when they
acquired the estate. (fn. 83) Their house had 11 hearths in
1672 (fn. 84) and 23 rooms were enumerated in 1715; (fn. 85)
it stood close to the south side of the main road, northeast of the churchyard, and was an L-shaped stone
building of two stories and attics with gables and
some oriel windows. (fn. 86) It was rebuilt between 1743
and 1746 to the designs of Michael Sidnell of
Bristol; the new house was a four-story building
of brick and Bath stone (fn. 87) surmounted by a pediment
bearing the Colchester arms. (fn. 88) Soon after its completion, however, the Colchesters took up residence
at the Wilderness, their house in Abenhall, and
apparently occupied the Westbury house only
between c. 1780 and c. 1805 when it was demolished. (fn. 89)
The family then had no home at Westbury until
1895 when a new house was built by Maynard
Colchester-Wemyss on a site to the south of that of
its predecessor; (fn. 90) the new house was occupied by
the family until 1960 and was demolished before
1964. (fn. 91)

Between 1696 and 1706 Maynard Colchester laid
out a water-garden on the east and south of Westbury
Court, consisting of flower-beds, shrubs, and trees
arranged in formal patterns around two parallel
canals fed by the Westbury brook. The main garden
ornament was a brick and stone pavilion standing at
the south end of the western canal, comprising an open
ground floor with columns supporting a pedimented
upper story with tall windows; there is a classical
statue on an islet at the T-shaped end of the eastern
canal. A brick wall along the north side of the garden
contains two sets of rusticated gateposts, with
respectively urn and pineapple finials. (fn. 92) A gazebo of
brick with stone dressings and a tall arched entrance
flanked by Corinthian pilasters was built at the east
end of the wall c. 1743. (fn. 93) In 1964 when the garden was
acquired by the Gloucestershire County Council (fn. 94)
it was in a state of neglect, and the southern pavilion
had to be demolished because of its unsafe condition.
An old people's home was built on the western side
of the garden in 1967-8, but the remainder was given
in 1967 to the National Trust which by 1969 had
begun to restore the garden and to rebuild the
pavilion to the original design. (fn. 95)

A ¼ knight's fee at Westbury, later said like Isabel
de Mynors's estate to be held from the de Bohuns, was
held in 1303 by Simon de Sollers and Peter Helion. (fn. 96)
Simon's share had passed by 1346 to his son
Simon, (fn. 97) and in 1374 Walter Sollers with Gilbert
Talbot and Philip de Aune, the partners in Isabel's
estate, held a knight's fee from the de Bohuns. (fn. 98)
The estate of the Sollers family may have been
represented by the manor of SELLARS (or
Cellars) in Westbury which belonged to Llanthony
Priory at the Dissolution. (fn. 99) Sellars manor was
owned with Westbury manor by Joseph Baynham
at his death in 1613 (fn. 100) and continued to be mentioned
later among the Colchesters' property. The site of
the manor, later described as Cellar's Mount, (fn. 101)
was apparently the rectangular area marked as 'the
manor' on a map of the Colchesters' estate in 1785. (fn. 102)
It lay on the main road opposite the churchyard and
close to the Westbury brook; there had presumably
once been a moated dwelling on the site.

Peter Helion's share of the ¼ knight's fee recorded
in 1303 (fn. 103) was evidently represented by 30s. rent
in Westbury manor held by Walter Helion at his
death c. 1342. Walter also held from the lords of the
various divisions of Westbury manor an estate which
was later known as the manor of LEY, and from the
16th century as the manor of NETHERLEY;
Walter's heirs were Rose, the wife of John Raleigh,
her sister Eva, and John, son of a third sister, Maud
Helion. (fn. 104) John was perhaps the John Coof who held
the estate in 1358 when it was taken by the Crown
because of his lunacy; (fn. 105) he died c. 1362 and the
estate was assigned soon afterwards to his cousin
and heir Thomas Raleigh. (fn. 106) William son of Thomas
Raleigh held the estate at his death in 1419 when his
heir was his sister Joan, the wife of Gerard Braybrook. (fn. 107) George Raleigh held the estate at his death in
1546, having devised it for life to his brother Leonard;
Simon Raleigh, perhaps George's son, (fn. 108) held it in
1579. (fn. 109) It was apparently that estate which was
acquired in 1607 by William Lysons, (fn. 110) and a William
Lysons held it in 1662, (fn. 111) perhaps the man who was
described as a clothier of Westbury in 1672; (fn. 112)
William Lysons of Ley died in 1693. (fn. 113) In 1697 the
estate was acquired from William Lysons by Daniel
Lysons of the Hempsted branch of the family
(d. 1736), (fn. 114) from whom it presumably passed to his
son Daniel (d. 1773), and to Daniel son of the second
Daniel (d. 1800). The Revd. Samuel Lysons,
brother and heir of the last Daniel, held the estate
at his death in 1804, (fn. 115) and in 1828 his son the Revd.
Daniel Lysons sold the estate to Richard Legge of
Ninnage Lodge, Westbury. In 1864 Charles Asgill
Legge of Ninnage Lodge settled the estate, which
comprised Lower Ley farm (123 a.), on his daughter
Caroline, the wife of Tom Goold of Newnham.
Tom died in 1879 and Caroline in the next year, and
in 1889 Caroline's mortagagees sold Lower Ley
Farm to Frederick Harvey. (fn. 116) In 1908 the Gloucestershire County Council bought the estate from Harvey
or his successors for use as small-holdings, and the
council owned it, with a number of other estates in the
parish acquired later, in 1969. (fn. 117) Lower Ley Farm
is a timber-framed building of the late 16th or
17th century comprising a main block and an
east cross-wing with a jettied gable-end; there is
internal evidence of a remodelling which involved
raising the roof of the main block. A timberframed barn has a roof incorporating upper crucks.

Another estate later known as the manor of
NETHERLEY was held by Robert Greyndour at
his death in 1443; it was then described as a house
and a plough-land in Ley. (fn. 118) It passed to Robert's
daughter Elizabeth who married firstly Reynold
West, Lord la Warre, and secondly John Tiptoft,
Earl of Worcester, and died in 1452; (fn. 119) John Tiptoft
held the estate until his death in 1470 when it
reverted to Elizabeth's heir Alice, the wife of Thomas
Baynham. (fn. 120) Sir George Baynham of Clearwell,
the grandson of Thomas and Alice, was described
as of Westbury in 1540 (fn. 121) and at his death in
1546 devised Netherley manor for life to his wife
Cecily with reversion to his son Christopher. The
manor apparently passed to Christopher's brother
Richard, (fn. 122) and Thomas Baynham, a third brother,
held it at his death in 1611 when it apparently
passed to Thomas's daughter and coheir Joan and
her husband John Vaughan (d. 1620). (fn. 123) The estate
then presumably passed to Baynham Vaughan son
of John and Joan (d. 1650), and Baynham's son
John Vaughan of Ruardean held it in 1681; (fn. 124) it
may have been represented by the house called
Baglaw with a small estate at Lower Ley which
John Vaughan sold in 1692 to Thomas Chinn and
Cornelius Draper, and which they sold in 1694
to Maynard Colchester. (fn. 125)

Another estate at Lower Ley, described as the
principal estate there, was owned c. 1803 and in
1823 by Anthony Ellis of Gloucester, (fn. 126) who was
succeeded by his cousin James ('Jemmy') Wood,
the Gloucester banker (d. 1836). In 1839 the estate,
which comprised c. 390 a. including Ley Court,
Union farm, and Green farm, was held by Wood's
executors and devisees, one of whom, John Surman
Surman of Swindon, was the owner in 1844. (fn. 127) He
was succeeded after 1871 by Major John Surman of
Tredington. (fn. 128) Ley Court, evidently the chief house
of the estate, was rebuilt in the mid 19th century
as a square two-story brick building in the Tudor
style.

The large manor of RODLEY, which included
seven tithings in the south part of the parish, (fn. 129)
was presumably included in the Crown's estate
at Westbury in 1086; the Crown held it in 1177 (fn. 130) and
in 1241 when it was farmed by Ralph of Rodley. (fn. 131)
In 1259 Henry III granted the manor to Simon
de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and Eleanor his
wife to hold until he provided them with other
lands; (fn. 132) they still held it in 1261, (fn. 133) but it reverted
to the king on or before Simon's death. In 1266
the king granted the manor to his son Edmund
Crouchback, who was created Earl of Lancaster in
the following year. (fn. 134) Edmund granted it provisionally in 1270 to Gilbert Talbot and his heirs; (fn. 135)
Gilbert held it at his death c. 1274 when it passed
to his son Richard, (fn. 136) but by 1282 the manor had
reverted to Edmund who granted it provisionally
to William de Grandison and his heirs. (fn. 137) In 1292
Edmund settled the manor on his son Henry of
Lancaster who succeeded at Edmund's death in
1296. (fn. 138) In 1317 Henry granted Rodley manor for life
to Thomas Blount, who held it in 1324, (fn. 139) and in 1332
Henry granted it for life to John Blount. (fn. 140) On John
Blount's death in 1358 the manor reverted to Henry's
son and heir Henry, Duke of Lancaster, (fn. 141) who died
seised of it in 1361 leaving as his heirs his two daughters Maud and Blanche. (fn. 142) Rodley manor was
assigned to Maud, (fn. 143) and after her death in 1362 it
passed to Blanche and her husband John of Gaunt,
Duke of Lancaster. (fn. 144) After John's death in 1399
the manor passed to his son who became Henry
IV in that year. (fn. 145) The Crown retained the manor of
Rodley until 1625 when it granted it to Robert
Cary, later Earl of Monmouth, and Sir Henry Cary
his son and heir; they sold the manor in 1632 to
John Berrow of Quedgeley and five others (fn. 146) who
sold it in 1634 to Thomas Young of Stantway. (fn. 147)
Thomas Young held the manor in 1640 (fn. 148) and apparently sold it in 1648 to Thomas Pury, who held it
in 1658. (fn. 149) Thomas Pury sold the manor c. 1690 to
Sir John Guise of Elmore, Bt. (d. 1695), and
it passed to successive sons, Sir John (d. 1732), Sir
John (d. 1769), and Sir William (d. 1783). (fn. 150) In 1807
the manor was held by Sir William's sister Jane
and her husband Shute Barrington, Bishop of
Durham, but by the next year it had passed to
Sir Berkeley William Guise, Bt. (d. 1834), son of
Sir William's heir. (fn. 151) From Sir Berkeley the manor,
which consisted by the mid 19th century only of a
few small copyholds (fn. 152) and after c. 1920 only of the
manorial rights, (fn. 153) passed to his brother Sir John
Wright Guise (d. 1865), and to successive sons Sir
William Vernon Guise (d. 1887), Sir William
Francis Guise (d. 1920), and Sir Anselm Guise
(fl. 1969). (fn. 154)

There was no capital messuage on Rodley manor
in 1274 (fn. 155) but one had been built by 1358; (fn. 156) it was
evidently on the site of BURY COURT which was
recorded in 1423. (fn. 157) In 1591 the house and 93 a.
were held on lease by William Morwent and another, (fn. 158)
and in 1614 it was leased with all the demesne lands
of the manor to William Morwent and John
Taylor; (fn. 159) it was included in the sale of the manor
in 1625, (fn. 160) but was separated from the manor soon
afterwards. Roger Taylor held Bury Court in 1647,
William Taylor in 1654, (fn. 161) and another Roger Taylor
apparently owned the freehold in 1658. (fn. 162) Roger
Taylor of Bury Court died c. 1686, (fn. 163) and a successor
of the same name owned Bury Court and a considerable estate in 1723; he died in 1727 and in 1737
his widow Mary held the estate with her son Roger.
Roger held the estate in 1779 (fn. 164) but was dead by
1792 when it was owned by his daughter Anne and
her husband William Cadle of Poultonshill, who
settled the estate on their son Richard who was then
occupying the house. In 1797, however, Anne, then a
widow, sold the estate to John Hartland, (fn. 165) and he or
another John Hartland owned Bury Court and
c. 245 a. in 1839. (fn. 166) John Hartland died in 1866,
and was succeeded by his son William (d. 1872).
In 1878 the Bury Court estate was put up for sale by
trustees for the Hartland family, and it was apparently
bought then by Robert Butler. (fn. 167) Robert Butler
occupied Bury Court in 1894; by 1910 the estate
had passed to his nephew William Butler, and by
1935 was occupied by James Butler; (fn. 168) in 1968
Mr. W. J. Butler owned and farmed the estate,
then c. 160 a. (fn. 169) In 1591 the house on the Bury
Court estate was described as a reasonable farmhouse with a hall, parlour, other mean rooms, and
outbuildinos. (fn. 170) The present house is a timberframed building of the late 16th or early 17th
century faced in later brickwork and stone. It is
thought to have once been larger, and foundations
have been discovered on the south and west. (fn. 171)
The base of a massive curved timber in a partition behind the entrance passage suggests that
part of a medieval cruck-framed building was
incorporated in the house.

An estate based on COURT FARM (formerly
Rodley Farm), standing west of Bury Court, perhaps
resulted from a division of the demesne lands of
Rodley manor. The estate was owned by 1785 by
Maynard Colchester; (fn. 172) it was retained by the
Colchesters until 1879 when they sold Court Farm
and 206 a. to Martin Wintle of Bristol from whom
the Gloucestershire County Council bought the
estate in 1919. (fn. 173) Court Farm is an L-shaped building
of stone and brick, parts of which were originally
timber-framed. Alterations and extensions took
place in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, while
the roof and the symmetrical front of the principal
range may be of still later date. The rear wing shows
internal evidence of framing and contains two
ceiling beams with carved stops and brackets.

BAYS COURT at Bollow was recorded by that
name in 1423 when it also belonged to Rodley
manor. (fn. 174) In 1560 it was on lease to Richard Hunt (fn. 175)
and in 1582 it was leased with 28 a. to John Bayse
and his son Thomas; (fn. 176) Thomas Bayse was the
tenant in 1614 (fn. 177) and it was sold with the manor in
1625. (fn. 178) It was probably owned by John Bayse of
Bollow who was a freeholder of the manor by
purchase in 1658, (fn. 179) and by James Bayse of Bollow
who was a freeholder in 1691; (fn. 180) he or another James
Bayse was succeeded in the Bays Court estate
before 1737 by his daughters, Elizabeth who married
Daniel Lea and Mary who married James Sandford. (fn. 181)
In 1839 Benjamin Mayo, whose family had been
settled at Gatwick Farm from 1712, (fn. 182) owned Bays
Court and 136 a. (fn. 183) Benjamin died in 1844 (fn. 184) and
the estate passed to Benjamin Harrison Mayo who
rebuilt the house in 1847 as a square brick building
of two stories and attics with Tudor-style windows. (fn. 185)
Benjamin Harrison Mayo retained the estate in
1871, (fn. 186) and it passed before 1879 to Benjamin
Pleydell Mayo and c. 1895 to John Harrison Mayo
(d. 1936). (fn. 187) In 1939 Bays Court was occupied by
Mrs. Laura Mayo, (fn. 188) and in 1944 the Mayo family
sold it to a Mr. Grindle whose son Mr. R. D.
Grindle owned and farmed the estate, reduced to
77 a., in 1968. (fn. 189)

A house and one plough-land at Stantway was
held from Rodley manor by Ralph of Abenhall
at his death c. 1301; he was succeeded by his son
John (fn. 190) from whom the estate presumably passed to
his brother Ralph, and Reynold of Abenhall,
Ralph's son, held it at his death c. 1341. (fn. 191) The
estate of the Abenhall family was apparently that
called the manor of STANTWAY which Philip
Hoke granted to trustees before 1412 for the endowment of a chantry in Littledean church. (fn. 192) In 1550,
after the dissolution of the chantry, the manor was
granted by the Crown to John Butler and Hugh
Partridge, (fn. 193) who granted it a few months later to one
of the Wintle family whose son Henry Wintle held
the estate, comprising Stantway Court and 80 a., in
1591. (fn. 194) In 1614 William Wintle sold the estate to
Alexander Baynham, the owner of the Westbury
Court estate, who sold it in 1621 to Thomas Young
of Chaxhill. Thomas sold the estate in 1634 to
John Osborne from whom it was bought in 1647
by William Aylburton of Elton. In 1683 a division
of the house was made between Samuel and Joseph
Aylburton, and in 1690 Joseph sold his moiety of
the house and part of the land to Sir Duncombe
Colchester of Westbury Court. (fn. 195) The rest of the
house and estate was owned in 1709 by Mary,
daughter of Samuel Aylburton, and in 1742 was
sold by Mitchell Aylburton to Maynard Colchester; (fn. 196)
the re-united estate then descended in the Colchester
family, (fn. 197) until sold c. 1944. (fn. 198) In 1968 Mr. R. J.
Liddington owned the house and 119 a. (fn. 199) The house,
which apparently dates from a complete rebuilding
in the late 18th or early 19th century, is of two
stories with attics and is built in the local Lias stone.

The manor of WALMORE, described as a farm
of 200 a. of assarts with meadows and pastures,
was granted to Flaxley Abbey by Henry II. (fn. 200)
The abbey's property in the parish was supplemented
by a number of later grants, notably 53 a. in Elton
given by Hugh Charke in 1255, (fn. 201) land in Northwood
given by John Joce in 1364, (fn. 202) and a messuage, a
plough-land, and c. 130 a. in Ley, Boseley, and
Rodley given by John Sabyn, chaplain, and Thomas
Snodhull (who were perhaps acting as intermediaries)
in 1387. (fn. 203) After the Dissolution Walmore manor
with appurtenances in Chaxhill, Cleeve, Walmore,
Northwood, Adsett, Elton, Boseley, and Denny
was granted with the abbey's other possessions to
Sir William Kingston, (fn. 204) who died in 1540, and it was
then confirmed to his son Sir Anthony Kingston. (fn. 205)
Sir Anthony granted it in the same year to Sir Brian
Tuke, (fn. 206) and in 1546 his son Charles Tuke granted
the manor to Christopher Estoft and John Abingdon. (fn. 207)
They later granted it to members of the Taverner
family from whom it passed to Richard Andrews,
who sold it in 1553 to Edward Wilmot. (fn. 208) Edward
died in 1558 having settled the manor on his son
Alexander; (fn. 209) in 1566 Christine Bury and Thomas
Wilmot, apparently Edward's widow and son, were
dealing with lands in Westbury, (fn. 210) and in 1569
members of the Wilmot and Kemp families were
licensed to grant Walmore manor to Anthony
Kemp. (fn. 211) Anthony Kemp was lord of Walmore
manor in 1607, (fn. 212) and freehold lands in Rodley manor,
which were probably appurtenant to Walmore
manor, were held by Sir Garret Kemp from Anthony
Kemp in 1614. (fn. 213) Sir Garret Kemp owned Walmore
manor in 1663, (fn. 214) and by 1694 it had passed to his
grandson Anthony Kemp of Slindon (Sussex). (fn. 215)
Anthony's son Anthony had succeeded to the manor,
which included Grange Court and a large estate,
by 1717, and retained it in 1731. (fn. 216) Barbara, daughter
of Anthony Kemp, married James Radclyffe,
Earl of Newburgh, (fn. 217) who held Walmore manor
c. 1775, (fn. 218) and was succeeded at his death in 1786
by his son Anthony (d. 1814). (fn. 219) The estate, which in
1839 comprised c. 760 a. all of which had apparently
belonged to Flaxley Abbey and paid no tithes,
passed to Anthony's widow Anne, Countess of
Newburgh, who apparently retained it until her
death in 1861. (fn. 220) In 1863 it was owned by Col.
Charles Leslie (fn. 221) who had married the heiress of
the Earls of Newburgh. Col. Leslie died in 1870
and his trustees held the manor in 1885. (fn. 222) By
1906 Grange Court and at least part of the estate
had been acquired by the Colchester-Wemyss
family; it was sold in 1918 to Mr. Arthur Hoddell,
whose widow owned the house and 263 a. in
1968. (fn. 223) Grange Court presumably occupies the
site of Walmore grange mentioned in the mid
13th century. (fn. 224) The house was occupied by Daniel
Baynham, one of the family that held Westbury
manor, at his death in 1620, (fn. 225) and from the late 17th
to the late 18th century it was leased to members
of the Constaunce family. (fn. 226) It is a substantial house
consisting of a central block and gabled crosswings faced in plaster or brick. The west wing is
timber-framed and may represent the solar wing of a
late medieval house; close-studding and shaped
door-heads are visible internally. The two-storied
central block, which is also timber-framed, was
probably built in the 17th century to replace an
earlier hall, the west wing being re-roofed at the
same time. The east wing is a comparatively modern
brick structure, perhaps of the early 19th century,
built to match the west wing.

In 1518 William Hughes and his wife Anne, one
of the daughters and heirs of William Hartland,
were dealing with a moiety of the manor of
BOSELEY. (fn. 227) In 1529 Hugh Griffiths levied a
fine of his reversionary right in a moiety of the
manor, held for life by Alice Hughes, widow, formerly the wife of William Hartland, to John
Arnold, (fn. 228) and in 1539 Arnold acquired the reversionary right in the same moiety claimed by Walter
Hughes and Margaret his wife. (fn. 229) John Arnold died
seised of the manor in 1545 having settled it on his
wife Isabel, who survived him, and on a younger
son Richard. (fn. 230) On Richard's death in 1587 the manor
reverted to Joyce Lucy, the heir of his elder brother
Sir Nicholas Arnold, (fn. 231) and Joyce and her husband
Sir William Cooke of Highnam held the manor,
comprising 518 a., in 1607; they also owned 123 a.,
the former possessions of Fulcher's Chantry (fn. 232)
which had been granted to Sir Nicholas Arnold in
1563. (fn. 233) The estate then descended with the manor
of Highnam until at least 1769 when John Guise,
owner of one moiety, bought the other moiety from
William Jones. (fn. 234) The estate was later acquired by
Sir Thomas Crawley-Boevey, Bt. of Flaxley
(d. 1818), (fn. 235) and in 1839 his son Sir Thomas owned
c. 390 a. including Boseley Court and Grove Farm. (fn. 236)
Sir Thomas died in 1847 and the estate passed to
successive sons Sir Martin (d. 1862), Sir Thomas
(d. 1912), and Sir Francis (d. 1928). (fn. 237) The estate
was sold c. 1930 by Sir Francis's son Sir Launcelot
Crawley-Boevey; the Boseley Court farm was
bought by a Mr. Ebborn but sold soon afterwards
to the Phelps family who owned and farmed it in
1969. (fn. 238) Boseley Court, formerly called Boseley
Farm, (fn. 239) apparently occupies the site of the manorhouse of Boseley manor mentioned in 1607. (fn. 240) The
present house dates from the late 17th century,
perhaps from 1699, a date which appears on a
cast-iron fire-back; it is a rectangular brick building
of two stories and dormered attics. There is some
evidence that the construction took place in two
ioned and transomed windows were replaced by
sashes in the 18th century.

Robert Muschet had land near Walmore in the
late 12th century. (fn. 241) It may be identifiable with the
messuage and 53 a. in Walmore and Northwood
held by Richard of Poulton, who died c. 1307, in
right of his wife Agnes Muschet, by the service of
providing the king with three barbed arrows when
he came to hunt in the Forest of Dean. Richard
was succeeded in the estate by his younger son
Walter, but in 1318 the claim of Walter's widow
Agnes was being challenged by John of Poulton,
the son of Richard's eldest son Richard; (fn. 242) the dispute
was apparently resolved in favour of Agnes, (fn. 243)
who was assessed for tax at Northwood in 1327. (fn. 244)
Before 1388 the estate was granted by Margery,
daughter and heir of Robert of Poulton, to Ralph
Oldland. (fn. 245) The estate may have been that called
Poultonshill mentioned below.

The Cadle family, recorded in the parish from
1195, (fn. 246) were prominent as yeoman farmers in the
18th and 19th centuries. Joseph Cadle owned the
house called Brimstones at his death in 1692, (fn. 247)
and another Joseph Cadle who died in 1745 also
occupied the near-by LONGCROFT estate. (fn. 248) Joseph
Cadle who died in 1774 left estates including Longcroft to his brother John (fn. 249) who was succeeded before
1788 by his son Joseph. (fn. 250) Joseph Cadle acquired other
lands in the parish and at his death c. 1833 his estates
were divided between his sons Joseph, who in 1839
owned Longcroft and 192 a., and Cornelius, who
owned Morwents and Brook farms with 183 a. (fn. 251) Both
sons apparently retained the estates in 1851. (fn. 252) In 1856
and until 1880 when the Longcroft estate was put up
for sale it was occupied by Thomas Cadle. (fn. 253) It was
later acquired by the MacIver family of Blaisdon and
sold with their estate in the early 1930s. (fn. 254) In 1968
Longcroft was owned by Bournside Farms Ltd. (fn. 255)
The house comprises a single 17th-century timberframed range of two stories and attics, faced in
rough-cast.

Another branch of the Cadle family were settled
at POULTONSHILL by the early 18th century.
Joseph Cadle lived there in 1715 (fn. 256) and Richard
Cadle in 1729; (fn. 257) Richard or a successor of the same
name died in 1738. (fn. 258) In 1762 the Poultonshill
estate was apparently owned by William Cadle of
Blaisdon, (fn. 259) and it was occupied by William Cadle
at his death in 1792. (fn. 260) In 1839 the house and 99 a.
belonged to Thomas Tovey. (fn. 261) Poultonshill was sold
with the MacIver estate in the early 1930s, (fn. 262) and in
1968 the house and 103 a. belonged to Mr. E. A.
Osment. (fn. 263) It is a square two-story brick house of
c. 1700, with stone gateposts with ball finials.

The Wintles, a numerous family of farmers and
landowners, were settled in the parish by 1426. (fn. 264)
The house called COWLEY'S ELM at Rodley
was occupied by Thomas Wintle in 1546, (fn. 265) and in
1614 John Wintle of Cowley's Elm was among 10
members of the family holding lands from Rodley
manor. (fn. 266) Thomas Wintle occupied Cowley's Elm
in 1676, (fn. 267) and another Thomas Wintle in 1780. (fn. 268)
In 1839 Cowley's Elm and c. 127 a. were owned by
John Collins and leased to William Wintle, (fn. 269) and in
1846 William Wintle bought the estate from Henry
Collins. William died in 1852 leaving the estate to
his son William who bought the small adjoining
estate known as the Vine Tree (fn. 270) (which another
branch of the Wintle family had occupied since at
least 1591) (fn. 271) from his brother John in 1862. William
died in 1903 and his executors conveyed his estates
in the next year to Frederick Collins, who sold them
in 1911 to the Gloucestershire County Council, the
owners in 1969. (fn. 272) Members of the Wintle family
occupied an estate called the Hill in 1546 and
1701; (fn. 273) it may have been Hill farm at Rodley which
in 1780 was owned by Benjamin Hyett, (fn. 274) who
apparently sold it to Thomas Wintle in 1802. (fn. 275)
John Wintle owned Hill Farm and 77 a. in 1839
when other members of the family owned Yew Tree
farm, also at Rodley, and Rock farm at Stantway. (fn. 276)

An estate of 85 a. based on CHAXHILL HOUSE
was owned by Benjamin Hyett in 1780. (fn. 277) He sold
it in 1809 to Thomas Elliot, and Elliot sold it in
1817 to Joseph Bennett (fn. 278) whose family was in
possession of an adjoining estate at Chaxhill by
1789. (fn. 279) In 1839 Joseph Bennett's estates comprised
c. 190 a. (fn. 280) By 1863 they had passed to Joseph Richard
Bennett who retained them until c. 1910. (fn. 281) In 1918
his trustees put the estate up for sale; it was split
up, the house and c. 80 a. being bought by J. W.
Bennet who sold it in 1924. (fn. 282) That part of the estate
passed through various ownerships until c. 1951
when it was bought by Mr. L. J. Hyslop who added
to it a former part of Walmore Common and in
1969 owned the house with a farm of 215 a. (fn. 283)
Chaxhill House is an early 19th-century threestory brick house with a stuccoed front; it has a
cornice and parapet and a porch with pediment,
pilasters, and fan-light.

A freehold estate based on a house called HAYDENS PLACE, later Elton Farm, was held from
Rodley manor by Nicholas Hayden in 1504. It
later passed to Margaret, widow of John Coke,
who was succeeded at her death in 1551 by her son
William Bailey. William Bailey held the estate,
containing 60 a., in 1591 with another 45 a. acquired
in 1572 and 1580, (fn. 284) and before 1614 sold his lands to
Joseph Fowle. (fn. 285) In 1639 the estate belonged to
William Capel of Gloucester who sold it to Richard
Swanley. (fn. 286) In 1759 it was owned by Thomas Pettat
of King's Stanley who settled it on the marriage of
his son Thomas; in 1797 the commissioners of the
bankruptcy of the younger Thomas sold the estate
to William Bullock of Blaisdon. (fn. 287) Samuel Bullock
owned Elton Farm and 114 a. in 1839 (fn. 288) and the farm
still belonged to the Bullock family in 1969. (fn. 289)

4. Rot. Litt. Claus (Rec. Com.), i. 345; C.P. 25(1)/73/10/
174; Abbrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 152. The first source
names the daughter who married William de Gamage as
Lisebell(a), and her who married Pain of Burghill as
Dulcia, but later sources agree in naming them Elizabeth
and Basile.

80. Flaxley Cart. p. 139, which mentions land in Pulmede
next to the garden of Henry de Mynors; G.D.R. Westbury
tithe award names the large meadow on the south of
Westbury Court as Powmead; the supposition is anyway
supported by the house's proximity to the church.

92. Glos. R.O., D 36/A 4, which contains detailed accounts
of the laying out of the garden; Atkyns, Glos. plate at pp.
798-9, reproduced on opposite page; Bodl. MS. Top.
Glouc. C.3, f. 192. The ground floor of the pavilion was
later bricked up and windows inserted, probably in 1895
when it was incorporated into the new house (Glos. Colln.
(H) G 2.63). Differences in detail between the print in
Atkyns and the appearance of the garden suggest that the
print may have been made before the completion of the
garden and based partly on plans that were subsequently
revised. Thomas Wintle, mentioned in the accounts as
carrying out some of the work at the garden, was presumably the Westbury mason recorded in 1698: Glos. R.O.,
P 354/IN 3/1.